


Of Him the Harpers Sadly Sing

by HASA_Archivist



Category: The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: 3rd Age - The Stewards, General
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-27
Updated: 2015-06-27
Packaged: 2018-04-06 09:06:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4215837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HASA_Archivist/pseuds/HASA_Archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tiny story in response to the challenge to write a banner story in 500 words. Elrond's two young sons explore a chest they know they shouldn't be looking in!<br/>Not too sure about the era setting, but it seemed the closest!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Him the Harpers Sadly Sing

**Author's Note:**

> Note from the HASA Transition Team: This story was originally archived at [HASA](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Henneth_Ann%C3%BBn_Story_Archive), which closed in February 2015. To preserve the archive, we began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in February 2015. We posted announcements about the move, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this author, please contact The HASA Transition Team using the e-mail address on the [HASA collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/hasa/profile).

 

Heh, heh, another chance to indulge my Gil-galad obsession…………..

 

 

*************

 

Of Him the Harpers sadly Sing

 

 

 

 

“Ssshhh! Someone will hear us! Pass me that stool would you?”

There was a scraping noise as something was dragged across a wooden floor. “Elrohir, I am not certain we should be here.”  
“Why? Do you not wish to see? _Ada_ said we could look.”  
“He did not, he said one day, when we were older, he would show us. It is not the same!”  
“ _Aiya,_ Elladan, if you do not wish to look, keep a guard on the door.”  
“I did not say that,” came the indignant reply, “I just said that I….oooh!”  
Elrohir had succeeded in fitting the key into the lock of the huge chest and after a brief struggle, it turned. The lid swung up smoothly and the two young elves looked inside, Elladan on tiptoes, and his brother beside him on the stool.  
Both gasped at the sight that met their wondering gaze. Inside the deep chest lay a single, fabric-wrapped item. Glimpses of blue and silver were tantalisingly visible where the white silk had come slightly loose.  
Forgetting his earlier reluctance, Elladan leaned forward eagerly, “Lift it out so we can see it.”  
Catching his lip between his teeth, Elrohir leaned over precariously. The stool wobbled warningly, but he recklessly reached forward, fingers straining to catch hold of the folded material. After a moment in which both young elves held their breath, Elrohir managed to snag a corner of the fabric with his small fingers. He lifted it triumphantly, but his smile of delight suddenly turned to alarm as the stool wobbled again and he lost his balance. He fell, stool, mystery object and elf-child all ending on top of Elladan who had no time to move out of the way. They landed in a tangled heap on the floor of the bedchamber.  
Elladan glared at his brother, “That hurt, Elrohir! What is it anyway?” he grumbled, struggling to untangle himself from the blue and silver folds and sit up.  
Before his twin could answer, a deep musical voice answered from the doorway, “It is the banner of Gil-galad and it is over three thousand years old. Now how, may I ask, did it end up there?”  
Elrond was hard put not to laugh at the sight of his twin sons. They looked so guilty, sitting in a tangled heap on the floor of his bedchamber.  
He knew he should be angry, instead he smiled, moving forward to retrieve the precious banner. He seated himself on the bed and his sons scrambled up next to him, leaning into his side as Elrond gently ran remembering fingers over the rich blue fabric, embroidered with silver stars.  
 _Gil-galad, my King….._  
“ _Ada?"_ Elrohir was looking up at his father hesitantly, “We are sorry, we just wanted to see.”  
Elrond smiled and caressed his son’s dark hair. “I am not angry, _iôn nín._ ”  
He paused, considering, then settling his sons more comfortably, he began to sing softly,  
“ _O Gil-galad i Edhelchír  
dim linnar i thelegain_……”

 

 

 

_Ada_ \- Dad  
 _Aiya_ \- Oh  
 _Iôn nín_ \- My son  
 _O Gil-galad i Edhelchír dim linnar i thelegain_ \- From a translation of The Fall of Gil-galad, literally, “About Gil-galad the Elven-king sad sing the harpers.”  



End file.
